At Clifton Elementary we begin our day in B.E.A.R. Time, which simply means that we start our day focused on having the right mindset and behavior, being engaged in the learning process, and developing our reading skills. We then transition to our instructional day with our student council members making the morning announcements. A member of our campus leadership team leads the students in reciting the pledges to both the American and Texas flags, we observe a moment of silence for prayer or self-reflection, and then the student council members lead the campus in reciting our Cubs-in-Action Motto, “I will be kind. I will be respectful. I will be responsible. I am a Clifton Cub! GO CUBS!” Student council members then make announcements pertinent to the day and share a bit of college trivia with the whole campus. Following this they individually sign off and remind everyone to have a great day and to… “Get your GROWL on!”
Recently, a student asked, “What exactly does it mean to get your growl on?” That’s a GREAT question! The answer is simply to put the Cubs-in-Action Motto into practice. In other words…
Be Kind: No matter your circumstances, whether you feel like it our not, be kind. Be considerate of others and treat them the same way you want to be treated. It has been said that a little bit of kindness goes a long way. If that is true, what would a whole lot of kindness do? Wouldn’t it be marvelous to find out? It might just change the world! Remember these words penned by Anne Frank, “How wonderful it is that nobody wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” So, be kind. Be a world changer!
Be Respectful: While respect should be second nature to us, there seems to be a significant deficit of it in our world today. From mean tweets and posts on social media to cliquish behavior at school, respect is plainly overdue for a comeback. The good news is that you can play a big role in starting a respect revolution just by modeling respect and showing exactly what it means to be respectful to others.
Consider these six tips on how to model respect:
- Listen and be present. If someone else is speaking, give them the courtesy of listening to and thinking about what they’ve said before responding, forming your own opinions, or dismissing theirs.
- Be considerate of other’s feelings. Think about how you might feel angry, sad, or even embarrassed if someone rolled their eyes at one of your ideas or talked over you when you were trying to speak. Since you don’t want to feel that way, you should do your best to make sure others aren’t made to feel that way too.
- Acknowledge others and say thank you. It’s important to speak when spoken to and to also be courteous and polite. Too often words of thanks go unsaid. Also, some might think it old fashioned, but a “yes ma’am” or a “no sir” are also good ways to show respect to others.
- Address mistakes with kindness. We’re all human. We are all going to make mistakes from time to time and we’re all going to need a helping hand now and then. Helping others grow from their mistakes with dignity is just the decent thing to do.
- Make decisions based on what’s right, not what’s easy. Sometimes it is hard to do the right thing, but it is never wrong to do it. If you see someone being mistreated, stand up for them. If you see something happening that is wrong, make a stand and speak against it. Don’t be a follower, but rather lead with conviction and integrity.
- Appreciate diversity. In this great big world of ours, there are so many different perspectives, and that’s what makes life interesting! As long as everyone is being respectful and no one is hurting anyone else, it’s important to take a step back and accept that there’s more than one perspective. However, there is one universal truth… Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
One last thing about respect… It’s kind of funny how things work, but the more respect you show, the more you’re respected in return.
Be Responsible: Being responsible means you can be counted on by keeping your promises and honoring your commitments. It is accepting the consequences for what we say and do. It also means developing your potential by setting goals and doing the work necessary to achieve those goals. People who are responsible don’t take short cuts and don't make excuses for their actions or blame others when things go wrong. Responsible people take pride in their work and joy in realizing the satisfaction of a job well done.
Collectively, these things represent what it means to be a Clifton Cub. So, boys and girls… ladies and gentlemen… get your GROWL on!